In the last decade, display technology has undergone a technological revolution. For example, great strides have been made in improving resolution, brightness and color characteristics of video displays, such that current display systems are able to display images with very high spatial resolution and dynamic range. In addition, because display systems have become much more affordable, they are a ubiquitous part of our everyday lives. For example, high quality television screens and projection display systems are commonly available, serving as a window to news and entertainment. Display systems have also become prevalent with regard to other types of electronic devices, enabling us to interact, for example, with personal computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), cellular (wireless) telephones, and the like. Video display systems are also now commonly used by security personnel to monitor physical spaces, and by surgeons to view organs of their patients. More recently, high quality digital display systems have emerged as possible replacements for physical media such as photographs and paintings.
Given that we are able to perceive depth and experience the world in three dimensions, it is highly desirable to have display devices or systems that can present visual content in three dimensions. Such systems would enable us to perceive content in the most realistic manner. However, despite the recent advances in display technology, current display systems remain significantly limited with regard to the displaying of 3D images.
Because we have two eyes that each pick up a different perspective of an object being viewed, an accurate 3D display system needs to provide different appearances or images of the object or scene being displayed to the two (left and right) eyes of the observer, with each image representing a point of view from a different viewing angle. As the observer changes location with respect to the 3D display system, these left and right (stereo) views preferably continuously change. Moreover, when there are multiple simultaneous observers having different locations with respect to the display system, each observer preferably receives a different (respective) stereo view of the scene. In addition, it would be preferable for 3D display systems to be able to perform all of the above functions in real time, such that observers can be provided dynamic (time-varying) scenes in three dimensions, without compromising the resolution or quality of the 3D image being presented and without requiring the observers to wear special devices.
Given the difficulties with achieving these goals, the creation of an accurate 3D display system has for decades been considered to be a “holy grail” problem. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide methods and systems for displaying 3D images of objects or scenes that alleviate at least some of the problems commonly associated with existing 3D display systems.